Community Organisation Advisory Partnerships (COAPs)
Information and guidance to support the development and delivery of Community Organisation Advisory Partnerships (COAPs)
Introduction
These resources support the development and delivery of Community Organisation Advisory Partnerships (COAP). They have been developed by HDRC Somerset, other HDRC and NIHR partners.
The resources can help you recruit organisations, run effective partnership meetings, evaluate participation and recognise contributions.
The information below provides a short overview of what a COAP is, why you might use one, and key questions to consider when deciding whether this approach is right for your team.
What is a COAP?
A COAP is a small group of up to ten representatives from local Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations.
These representatives are invited to take part because of their direct work with communities affected by the topic your team is exploring. They bring practical knowledge, insight, and experience that can help shape and strengthen your work.
Why use a COAP?
By sharing their on‑the‑ground experience, COAP members can help your team gain a deeper understanding of the challenges
people face and what support works in practice.
Working with a COAP can help you:
- Develop solutions that are practical and realistic
- Better understand the needs of local communities
- Design work that is more inclusive and sustainable
COAP members can also advise on meaningful and respectful ways to engage with communities. They can help co‑design and review materials and resources to ensure they are clear, accessible, and relevant to the people you want to reach.
What can a COAP support?
A COAP can be involved in a wide range of activities, including:
- Research and evaluation
Community organisation representatives can help shape questions, advise on appropriate ways to gather
feedback, reach people who are often overlooked, and support clear communication of findings. This can lead to
more accurate insights and better informed decisions. - Policy development and review
When creating or reviewing policies, input from organisations that work closely with affected communities helps
ensure policies are practical and genuinely meet local needs. - Service design and improvement
Feedback from organisations supporting people in the community can help services become more accessible,
effective, and compassionate. - Changes to services and infrastructure
Community organisations can help you understand the real‑life impact of proposed changes, highlighting practical
implications that may not otherwise be considered and ensuring decisions are grounded in residents’
experiences.
This is not an exhaustive list, and teams are encouraged to be creative in how they work with their COAP.
Do we have the capacity for a COAP?
A COAP is an active partnership, not a one‑off consultation. While this way of working can be highly rewarding, it requires
time, planning, and the right support to work well.
Before setting up a COAP, consider the following questions:
- Is there a clear timeframe?
Have you mapped out the stages, identified how many meetings will be needed, and allowed enough time for meaningful
partnership working? - Will COAP members have genuine influence?
Is there real space for members to shape decisions, guide the work, and share their expertise in a meaningful way? - Can roles be agreed together and adapted over time?
Will members be able to co‑design their roles, and is there flexibility for these to change as the partnership progresses? - Are there opportunities for reflection and feedback?
Are there regular points for members to share what is working well and what could be improved, and is your team prepared to respond? - How will you check the partnership is working?
Do you have a plan to gather ongoing feedback and adjust your approach where needed? - How will COAP members be recognised and rewarded?
Members should be fairly recognised for their time and insight. Is there a budget for this, and can you offer additional benefits such as training or access to relevant opportunities?
Being honest about your team’s capacity helps build trust and supports a positive, sustainable partnership.
Get in touch
For further guidance please contact participation@somerset.gov.uk.
Recruitment
The resources below can help you recruit community organisations, explain expectations clearly, and support organisations to join and participate confidently
Below is an example of an advert you could use to help you recruit for, and onboard, your COAP. It contains a clear call for community members, information about the purpose and goals, a group overview and space to include your contact details.
Example advert
Meetings and facilitation
These resources are designed to help you run effective, inclusive partnership meetings and establish shared ways of working from the outset.
We have also included additional resources to support trauma-informed and accessible practice throughout your partnership.
GOV.UK Health Adjustment Passports (including Easy Read version)
Our Distress Protocol template can be adapted to help you prepare for sensitive conversations and ensure appropriate support is available if needed.
Our Layers of Community Participation guidance explains different approaches to involving communities, from consultation through to co-production and community-led activity.
For most COAP, we recommend using the Stronger Together Scorecard and Spider Diagram. These tools can help you:
- Understand how participation is working for everyone involved.
- Identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
- Reflect on how different levels of participation are being applied across your work.
A PDF version of the Stronger Together Scorecard is available below. If you would like the interactive version, please contact Participation@Somerset.gov.uk
What next?
If you think a COAP is the right approach for your team, please contact us for support in setting one up.